Daemon's Little Sister
by TehMarishal
Summary: No one knew that Daemon had a little sister, one who was never completed. What happens when she becomes activated and goes to Mainframe? Meanwhile, Matrix and AndrAIa become engaged and begin to plan their wedding.
1. Chapter 1

Loud music files. Oh, aren't they so pretty?

I am Diva File, basically the little sister of Daemon. Only she was a lot more powerful than I could ever hope to be. Let's just say that I'm the original, backup copy of an older version. I was my creator's first baby, something to be cast aside in a spare folder on a backup hard drive when he decided I wasn't working.

I guess I was glichy. Am I? I suppose I am. I didn't live up to my User-Creator's vision, which I suppose was his own failing. Or maybe mine? I have no idea anymore. All I know is that Daemon was created perfect for her purpose, and I was never intended to be used or activated.

Fragments, I am not even a complete virus. I was only activated by accident, and I escaped onto the Net because my System's Guardian didn't like me being there. I may not be complete and therefore my function is uncertain at best, but… perhaps I can discover my own function.

And I will personally delete anyone and anything that gets in my way. Too bad I couldn't erase the System I was created in, or reformat it. That would have been poetic irony to the User who created and abandoned me.

My first intention after fleeing into the Net was to find out what happened to my sister. The reasoning behind my motivations were clouded, but… I suppose I was fueled by curiosity. Not necessarily revenge. I may resent the fact that my User-Creator did not complete me in favor of her, but I'm not stupid. Daemon had the power to destroy me in a heartbeat, even if she may not do so outright.

I also had zero interest in being infected by my own sister. I wasn't sure if she could infect me, considering we came from the same viral code (or at least similar) but I wasn't taking any chances.

It had not taken me long at all to discover Daemon's fate. She destroyed herself in order to carry out her function, and then… of all things, her purpose was thwarted by a different Virus. This… was interesting data to consider and compile within my processor.

Once I discovered her fate, I found myself uncertain what to do with myself. I suppose my function now is to try and find a function. Or am I searching for completion, since I am an incomplete program? What would happen if I do find completion? Would I become a Virus just like my big sister?

If anything, Daemon should have been my little sister since I was created first, but… no, she is the big sister. She was bigger, more powerful, and completed. I am like an aborted fetus that must struggle outside the womb and find her own way.

Would it be possible to… find someone, something, who could help me find whatever it is I seek?

I streamed through Net connection after Net connection, never staying in a single System for very long. My strength could protect me from Guardians and other System defenders, but I could never stay where I wasn't welcome. My code was just complete enough to trigger Virus detectors, yet I barely had the power to fend off attackers at times.

Is it so wrong to wish only to exist? To find my own purpose, no matter what that may be?

Therefore I continued to stream through the Net, finding purpose in the simple fact that I have no purpose. The goal to find purpose and completion was quite enough for me.

Perhaps by some strange coincidence… I ended up in Mainframe completely by accident, the one place on the Net that ended up being… as welcoming toward Viruses as anyplace could be. This ended up being the place that could help me… sort of. Though I didn't know that at first, and I don't think they did, either.


	2. Chapter 2

It was another typical second in Mainframe… if there ever was such a thing.

Bob was doing his rounds, repairing a couple of System Tears as Phong and Dot prepared to install a System Update. Young Enzo was at school, Mouse and Ray were assisting with System Repairs after the fiasco with Megabyte, and…

Matrix and AndrAIa had been assured that they weren't needed for the time-being. Therefore, Matrix uncharacteristically decided to arrange for a romantic, candle-lit dinner at Dot's Diner.

Cecil seemed to know something that AndrAIa did not; the service drone had cleared an area of the Diner and dimmed the lights. When AndrAIa walked in through the doors, he led her to a candle-lit booth where Matrix was waiting for her.

"Wow," AndrAIa remarked as she approached the table, blinking in surprise. "Are you wearing a tux?"

"Yeah, I am." One side of Matrix's mouth lifted into a half-smile. "This is a special occasion."

"I guess it is," AndrAIa said as she stepped closer. "Otherwise I'd have to ask who are you and what you did to the real Matrix."

Matrix snorted. "Come on, you saw me wear a tux at…" He coughed. "What was supposed to be Dot's wedding." He looked awkward.

"Yeah, but this is no wedding and you said you hated wearing a tux." AndrAIa sat down across from him.

"Well, speaking of weddings…" Matrix stopped talking. This wasn't at all how he wanted to approach this subject. He wasn't the romantic type and everyone knew it, but… why couldn't this go right? It shouldn't matter, yet for some reason… it did. He just wanted it to be special.

AndrAIa raised her eyebrows. "Oh?" she leaned forward on her elbows. "Is there something you're trying to tell me, Lover?"

"Uh… yeah." Matrix tugged at the collar of his tux. Whatever cheesy, over-the-top-lovey-dovey words he'd rehearsed seemed to slip from his mind. Well, they were stupid anyway; they had been Cecil's recommendation. It turned out that the service drone was a cheesy romantic deep down… perhaps the advice that Bob and Phong gave would be more useful here; "Go with your heart."

"AndrAIa…" He reached across the table and took one of her hands into his own, meeting her eyes. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. If it wasn't for you I never would have made it through those Games… I never would have made it back to Mainframe or defeated Megabyte. I love you so much."

AndrAIa leaned forward. Their lips were inches apart. "Enzo," she began softly. Both of them knew he hated being called that, yet somehow it seemed… right, at least now. "I loved you from the moment I first met you. You know that."

"Then…" Matrix angled his head slightly, inching closer; their lips were now two centimeters apart. His breath brushed her lips as he spoke. "Will you marry me?"

"Do you even have to ask?" With that, she initiated a kiss and their lips locked.

What should have been a tender, passionate moment was ruined when the lights suddenly came on and a familiar, annoying voice said, "Oh YES! Ladies and Gentlemen, she said YES!"

Matrix and AndrAIa disengaged as Mike the TV hopped onto the table between them, microphone in hand as he stared into a camera off to the side. "This is live from Dot's Diner; Matrix has proposed to his lovely lady, AndrAIa, and she said YES!" He shoved the microphone into AndrAIa's face. "How does the lucky lady feel?"

AndrAIa scowled in annoyance. "Mike…" she growled a warning.

"Mike," Matrix snapped with more venom, "what in the Net do you think you're doing? Get out of here!"

Next thing Mike knew, he had been knocked onto the floor. "Ow!" he exclaimed, even if he did get up quickly enough. "You've seen it here first, folks-our resident Renegade proposes marriage, and is found guilty of abusing household appliances!" He leaned toward the camera, holding a hand to the side of his mouth as if sharing a secret, "does this mean… we may have a wife-beater in the making? Stay tuned as we discuss this later on the Gossip Channel!"

Matrix looked like he was very close to losing his temper. "That does it." He took Gun into his hand and aimed. Then he fired.

The camera was deleted, causing Mike's crew to scatter and run out the door. Mike screamed, and he ran after them.

"I couldn't have handled that better myself," AndrAIa said in amusement.

Matrix put Gun back on his hip, then turned to face his fiancée. "Now," he said, "where were we?"

He put his arms around her and pulled her close. Their lips found each other again, and they engulfed themselves in their hot passion… or at least, they started to.

A Vid-Window popped up beside them, interrupting the moment once again. But this time it was Bob, and he had a concerned look on his face.

"Matrix-Oh," Bob looked embarrassed, glancing downward for a moment. "I'm very sorry to interrupt, but there's something headed your way!"

Matrix's annoyance changed to concern. "What is it?" he asked.

Right at that moment, several of the nearby windows shattered.


	3. Chapter 3

Many Minutes lost in the Games and countless Systems had taught Matrix and AndrAIa to expect the unexpected, to simply react when something came at them. That was the only reason they had survived, and their instincts saved them now.

Matrix went in one direction, rolling head over heels as he got out of the line of fire. He ended up in a half-crouch with Gun in hand, already attempting to aim. In the meantime, AndrAIa dashed in the opposite direction, finding cover and readying her Triton.

Something had battered its way through the front of the building, destroying the windows and a small portion of the structure. Even despite of that… it chose to open the front door and walk inside, with the casual grace of someone simply passing through.

It appeared to be a Sprite of some sort, roughly the same height as AndrAIa though perhaps a bit shorter. The figure was decidedly feminine, complete with a curvy waist and a moderate bosom. She wore a skimpy black outfit that glimmered with reflective specks. Her high heels were barely more than regular shoes, but they did cause her hips to sway slightly as she walked.

One thing above all else caught the attention of the Mainframers; the face, and the light blue hair that flowed from behind her and moved about like snake tails. That and the metallic, halo-like thing that adorned her head like a silver crown on a queen.

"Daemon?" AndrAIa's eyes widened with surprise, then narrowed as her fingers tightened around her weapon. Had the Supervirus somehow returned?

"Not possible," Matrix remarked, then he was done talking. His golden eye turned over in its socket, causing a red M to appear. "Gun, lock target," he ordered, and then he fired.

The Sprite screamed as she took a bullet in the torso. Her form flickered once, then twice. She stumbled against a nearby booth, burying her face into her hands. She moaned.

Matrix took a single step closer to get a better aim, ready to fire-

"Matrix, wait," AndrAIa said suddenly.

He didn't take his eyes off the Virus, nor did he take his finger off the trigger. "She needs to be destroyed!" he snapped, and pulled the trigger.

This time the Sprite vanished before the bullet could reach her. A moment later she appeared several feet from her original position. She scowled at Matrix, baring her pearly white teeth as she extended her arm. An energy wave pulsed from her and send Matrix flying across the diner to crash into the opposite wall.

"Oh this is just delicious," the Virus said. Her voice had the same accent that Daemon had, though it was somehow sweet and malicious at the same time. "You want to fight, my man? I will oblige!"

"No! Stop!" AndrAIa stepped forward, swinging her Triton. The Virus ducked, dodging the sharp points, but AndrAIa whirled it around and managed to strike the strange Sprite over the head.

"OW!" The Virus grabbed her head, where it hurt. She began to whimper as she backed away. "What did you do that for?" Tears began to streak down her face.

AndrAIa frowned. There was something very odd about this Sprite, something that… felt different. But she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. But she wasn't going to let down her guard; a Virus was still a Virus.

"Enough of this!" Matrix was up again, and he had Gun ready. "Gun, target lock. Full delete."

"Matrix, wait!"

"Bob?"

The Guardian didn't even bother to use the door; he simply went in through the hole in the diner. He stepped inside with Glitch at the ready, his eyes surveying the scene with an experienced eye. The Virus seemed to be huddled against the wall, her arms wrapped around herself as she whimpered, moaned, and… cried?

Bob knew he was taking a big chance, especially since he knew nothing about this Sprite or what her intentions were. He was no fool; he knew the risks. But he still believed that any being, including a Virus, deserved a chance. He was willing to give her that chance, if she was willing to talk.

"Everyone, just calm down," Bob said, holding out his arms.

"Bob, are you crazy?" Matrix demanded. He knew that this Virus wasn't Daemon, but it was still a Virus, and therefore dangerous.

"Just give me a moment," Bob insisted, taking a tentative step toward the strange Sprite.

Matrix gritted his teeth and let out a soft growl. Nevertheless, he forced his arm down and lowered Gun.

The Virus didn't seem to be doing anything anyway… at least, not at the moment.

"Hey," Bob said, taking a cautious step toward the Virus-Sprite. "Are you alright?"

The Sprite barely looked at him. She moved, causing Matrix to tense; only it wasn't a defensive move. It was more like huddling. She wrapped her arms around her legs and continued to whimper. "I'm tired of running," she said.

"Who are you running from?" Bob asked, trying to figure out the situation.

"Nothing, everything," the Virus said. The tears cleared from her eyes, and she looked at him with… Anger? Desperation? "I can't find what I need. I will keep looking until I find it!"

"What are you looking for?" Bob asked.

Now the Virus snarled. She jumped to her feet and thrust her arms into the air, sending a burst of energy in all directions. The Mainframers were sent hurtling over the booths and chairs. "SOMETHING THAT NONE OF YOU CAN GIVE ME!"

This time, the Virus vanished.

"Is everyone alright?" Bob asked as he picked himself up off the floor.

"Yeah," Matrix grunted.

"I'm okay," AndrAIa said. "Bob, what was that?"

"A Virus," Bob answered, stating the obvious. "Other than that, I'm not sure yet." He raised his left arm to his face. "Glitch," he said, "scan and locate that Virus."

Glitch beeped. "I'm going there," Bon said, already moving.

"I'm coming with you," Matrix said.


	4. Chapter 4

Loud music files… or rather, music files played loudly. Oh they were so wonderful, one of the best things in the Net. Thank the Users for that, even if they weren't good for much else.

Random music began to play throughout Mainframe. Over the next few nanos some songs would repeat themselves over and over, others would play simultaneously, others would stop in the middle in favor of others starting up.

It seemed evident that the Virus liked music… or at the very least, she was using it as a diversion. Bob and a few others ended up seeking out several areas within the System where the obnoxious code originated from. The Mainframers disabled the pockets of code one by one, causing the obnoxiously loud music to go silent sector by sector until the System was silent once again.

But this didn't lead them any closer to finding the Virus. Glitch scanned and scanned, leading Bob to each infected pieces of coding… which turned out to be a red herring. The only use in disabling and removing the altered code was to silence the music.

In the end, once that task was completed, the only thing Bob and everyone else could do was stay on alert and keep an eye on everything. If anything the least bit suspicious happened they could act.

"Did you find anything?" Dot asked Bob via Vid-Window when the bugs were stopped and removed.

Bob sighed. "Not really," he said. "She seems to have vanished without a trace, but I get the feeling she's still in city somewhere."

Dot nodded. Both of them knew that Bob had Guardian senses; he could always tell when something wasn't right. It was just like the time when Lens the Reaper, the Codemaster, came to Mainframe. Bob had been the first (and only) one to sense that something was off, even before they knew anything about the Codemaster's presence.

"I'll have my men stay on alert," she said. "I've already got patrols scouting the parameter of the city, but…" Her shoulders moved in a slight shrug.

"I know," Bob acknowledged with a nod. Both of them knew that they couldn't have CPU cars or ground patrols searching relentlessly throughout the City, especially since they had their own duties and rounds to perform. Plus there was the fact that an obsessive, all-out search was neither necessary nor practical at the moment, especially since the Virus hadn't done anything overly destructive yet. The music bugs had been easy to disable, and the only aggressive action she'd made was blow a hole in Dot's Diner.

"I'll keep a look out," the Guardian said.

"Bob, just… be careful."

"I will."

****

"What are the mathematics of tears?"

Diva Line walked slowly down a roadway, barely glancing at anyone she passed. She received a few curious glances, especially since the binomes took note of the fact that she was a stranger. She ignored them unless they got too close or stared too long, in which case she would glare at them with a vicious scowl. If they still continued to stare, she would send them flying a short distance away with her telekinetic powers.

"What are the mathematics of tears?" Diva whispered to herself again, even though there was no answer. There were many questions, almost random ones, swirling about within her processor. Whether those thoughts and questions were born out of desperation and pain, or simply the lost uncertainty that came with being an incomplete program… there was no way to tell.

Diva stopped in her tracks when she detected a presence approaching her. She turned and her eyes zeroed in on a stealthy figure whom almost made it close enough to be in striking range. It was a female Sprite, with glowing red hair and light purple skin.

"Nice knife," Diva commented flatly. It was impossible to tell the emotion or meaning behind those words from her tone. "What do you want?" She eyed the Sprite with almost… disinterest.

The other Sprite narrowed her eyes fractionally, holding her katana at the ready. "Just answer me one question," she said, her voice accented with a southern twang, "are you Daemon?"

Diva blinked. "Daemon was my big sister," she said blandly. "Why do you want to know?"

The other Sprite's hands tightened around the hilt of her weapon, though she did lower the blade marginally. "I needed to know who and what all of us are dealing with," she answered. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing."

"It didn't seem that way when you trashed Dot's Diner, Sugar. Now what are you planning to do?"

Diva turned away, clasping her hands together under her chin. "I don't know," she admitted, her voice trembling with emotion.

Mouse frowned. She really didn't know what to make of this strange Sprite, but the poor kid seemed… lost, confused. She knew better than to let down her guard around questionable Sprites, especially Viruses, but there seemed to be something different about this one. Something that could almost be… pitied.

"Well," Mouse said, "I'm not about to let you roam the city alone, especially not after the stunts you've pulled. I'll take ya to Bob and he can decide what to do with cha." She placed one hand on her hip and give the younger Sprite a look of authority, making it clear that it wouldn't do to argue.

Diva Line stood there blankly for a long moment, as still as a statue. It almost seemed as though she might stand there all second, or possibly even vanish at any moment. Instead, she finally turned on her heel and faced Mouse.

"Whatever," Diva finally said, more or less agreeing with Mouse's demand.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N I would like to thank Wolfie's Productions for reading this fic, and for giving me valuable input and ideas on how to proceed. Seriously, I was stuck with bad writer's block up until today. Thank you, Wolfie's Productions!_

"Where are you taking me?" Diva File inquired as she and Mouse proceeded. They had walked down several blocks, the Hacker-sprite keeping an eye on the virus the entire time. It was apparent that Mouse had a set destination in mind.

"First we're gonna catch a cab," Mouse replied simply. With that they rounded yet another corner, and then they approached a section of the main highway. Mouse put two fingers in her mouth and blew a shrill whistle; a nano later, a yellow cab with flight capability pulled up alongside the curb.

"Perfect," Mouse said, satisfied. "Get in, Hon; I'll be with ya in a nano." Then, still watching the girl out of the corner of her eye, Mouse activated a VidWindow.

The cab driver waited patiently as the girl took a seat just behind him. The meter was already running; he did not mind being paid to sit there and wait for customers to get done gabbing on their personal calls. He smirked as he eyed the steady flow of numbers on the digital readout, chewing on a rather crunchy chip as he sat.

"Yeah, Bob," Mouse was saying outside the vehicle, "I found her. I've got her in a cab. Where should I take her?"

Bob looked thoughtful as he considered. "What has she been doing?" he asked.

"Well, she hasn't tried to run off or destroy anything, if that's what you're asking," Mouse mused. She cast a glance toward the girl, then focused her full attention on Bob. "I've seen many Viruses, but nothing quite like her… she just seems confused. Incomplete, even."

"Hmm." Bob stroked his chin, glancing toward the ground as he considered this. "Take her to the Principle's Office," the Guardian finally said. "We can figure out what to do from there."

"Take a Virus to the Principle Office?" Mouse raised a red eyebrow."Sugar, Phong ain't gonna like that very much."

"I'll meet you there," Bob said. "If there are any problems I'll take full responsibility. But we need to find out more about her."

"I'll see if I can get anything outta her on the way," Mouse said in a softer tone, not wanting the girl to hear her. "See ya there, Bob. And Hon," she winked, "don't be late."

Bob gave a slight smile. He didn't mind it when Mouse flirted with him, even if it did make him a tad uncomfortable… especially since she had hooked up with Ray and Bob himself was engaged to Dot. It was simply an awkward little habit that Mouse had when neither Ray nor Dot were around, simply for 'old times' sake' as Mouse had often said.

"See you there," Bob said, and then the VidWindow winked out.

Mouse swung on her heel and hopped into the cab, taking a seat in the back next to the Virus. Diva cast a glance at the Hacker, obviously taking note that she was there, but otherwise gave no reaction.

"Where to?" the cab driver asked. He was a scrawny Binome with a brown top hat and a rather shady demeanor.

"The Principle Office," Mouse replied as she settled back into her seat. She didn't relax too much, but somehow she got the vibe that the girl wasn't going to try anything… for now. "Make it snappy, Sugar." She snapped her fingers.

"Okie-dokie." The engine roared, and the cab swerved on its axis as it took off into the sky.

"So, Diva," Mouse said, turning her full attention to the Sprite next to her, "why don't cha tell me about yourself. How did you come to Mainframe?"

Diva was staring off into space, her arm draped over the side of the car to dangle outside. She seemed to be in an almost trance-like state. "I… came from the Net," she finally replied in a dull monotone.

"So I see. But Honey, I'd like to know more about cha." Mouse crossed her legs and tipped her chin, studying the girl intently. "You said you're Daemon's sister. Did you help her when she tried to destroy the Net?"

Diva shook her head. "No… I'm just a backup. And I'm… I'm…" Now the girl's face scrunched up and she looked away. A strangled noise escaped her throat, revealing that she was crying.

Mouse frowned. She didn't let down her guard for a nano, especially since she'd had experience with crocodile tears. Especially when it came to Viruses. Yet somehow… it seemed genuine coming from this girl. "Hey now," she said a bit more softly, "none of that, now. I'll get cha to the Principle Office, and we'll figure out what to do from there."

Diva wiped her eyes, sniffled, and looked back at the Hacker. "What's going to happen to me?" the girl whimpered.

"I don't really know, Sugar. That's something we need to discuss with Bob and the others."

The rest of the ride was mostly silent.

"What a mess."

"You can say that again, Sparky."

Matrix and AndrAIa had returned to the Diner once they were sure that the young virus was no longer rampaging through the city… or whatever she had been doing. Overall the damage wasn't as bad as it could have been, but a few booths were scorched, broken glass was scattered all over the floor, and the walls and floor tiles were cracked and burnt.

"Well, Guardian," AndrAIa said playfully as she tossed Matrix a broom, "it's time to mend and defend."

Matrix rolled his eyes as his big, muscular hand encircled the broom handle. "Too bad we can't make viruses clean up their own messes."

"Wouldn't that be nice," AndrAIa grunted as she set a couple of fallen stools upright. "First they can destroy a System, and then they could… clean it up and give everybody's boots a fine polish." She grabbed one of the trash cans and deposited a few cups and plates into it. Obviously, the incident earlier had ruined lunch for everyone.

"That'll be the day," Matrix grunted as he hefted a partially destroyed booth and carefully maneuvered it outside. The garbage collectors could come by later and take it to the data compile dump for deletion or re-compiling.

They spent the next few microseconds picking up trash, sweeping up broken glass, and moving anything deemed unusable or not easily fixable outside. Finally the two of them sat down on a couple of booths at the bar, treating themselves to energy shakes as they took a breather.

"Looks like we're almost done," AndrAIa said thoughtfully as she nursed her shake. "All we need to do is get someone to replace the glass and bring in some new booths and chairs, and then it's good to go."

"Yeah." Matrix drained half of his shake in one large gulp. "I just hope they're keeping that Virus contained at the Principle Office. We don't need it running amok."

"Don't worry, Lover," AndrAIa said. "I'm sure that if anything happened, they would have called us. Besides," she added thoughtfully, "I got a strange feeling about that girl."

"Like what?" Matrix grumbled. To him, one virus was just as dangerous and useless as any other virus.

AndrAIa shook her head. "I'm not sure. It's just this funny feeling I got when I looked at her. Even when she was destroying things… somehow I felt like even she isn't sure what she's doing."

"She's a virus and virus's are trouble. That's all that matters."

"It was a virus who saved the entire Net from Daemon," AndrAIa pointed out.

"And we're talking about Daemon's sister here," Matrix retorted. "For all I know, they could be one in the same."

"True, but…" AndrAIa sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I just don't know. Maybe there's hope for her somehow. I know that Little Sparky is already growing up to be different than you," she said pointedly, giving his side a playful jab with her elbow.

Matrix snorted. "Better not to take any chances." He downed the rest of his drink.

"Come on." AndrAIa pushed aside her own energy drink, and then disregarded it. "There's nothing more we can do here for now; Cecil can wash the counters and floors in the morning. Let's go over the Principle Office and see what's up."

Matrix's lips turned upward in a slight smile. "You read my mind."

"Who else knows you better?" AndrAIa grinned, holding onto his arm as they walked. For a moment she let herself become lost in that moment as they walked out the door, imagining herself in a flowing wedding dress and walking down the aisle with this Sprite after they exchanged their "I do's".

"And that's why we're getting married." Matrix paused just outside the door, and he took her into his arms and kissed her. He wouldn't let it be said that the Renegade Matrix didn't make time for romance. "You are so beautiful," he told her, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand.

She beamed. "And you are amazing. Even if…" She glanced down in the general direction of his behind. "I'm still not sure how I feel about that tattoo you got on you ASCII."

"Hey, it's your name."

"Yes, but why there?"

"Would you rather I got it on my-"

AndrAIa put her fingers against his lips, silencing him. "It's fine where it is." Then she gave him a peck on the cheek. "Come on, Lover," she smiled, "let's get to the Principle Office."


End file.
